Trump Accused of Lacking `Good Character' in DC Liquor Complaint

(Bloomberg) -- The Trump International Hotel in Washington shouldn’t be allowed to serve alcohol because the hotel’s ultimate owner, President Donald Trump, isn’t of “good character,” a group of religious leaders and former judges said in a complaint.

The group asked Washington’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Board to investigate Trump and ultimately revoke his namesake hotel’s license to serve liquor. It’s a long-shot addition to the legal challenges facing the president -- from investigations into his campaign’s possible collusion with Russia to a lawsuit accusing him of violating the Constitution by operating businesses that profit off foreigners.

The hotel, blocks from the White House, has become a magnet for Trump administration officials, Republicans and those seeking their favor since it opened in late 2016. The president, who doesn’t drink alcohol, comes for dinner on occasion.

Amanda Miller, a spokeswoman for the Trump Organization, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Alcoholic Beverage Control Board would have had to determine that Trump was of good character when it issued a liquor license to the hotel, a review of the board’s rules suggests. Max Bluestein, a spokesman for the beverage board, said the board’s enforcement division was reviewing the complaint.

Trump’s offenses, according to the complaint, include associating with people convicted of major crimes; accusations of sexual assault; lying; and a general lack of integrity. The complainants say that the allegations and evidence demonstrates that Trump fails to meet the beverage board’s requirement that only people of “good character” qualify for the right to sell alcohol in Washington.

To contact the reporter on this story: Shahien Nasiripour in New York at snasiripour1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Michael J. Moore at mmoore55@bloomberg.net, Larry Liebert, John Harney

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